Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are quickly growing in acceptance and popularity, accelerated by Facebook Inc.'s purchase of OCULUS RIFT® (Registered trademark of Facebook, Inc.) in 2014. End users are using their mobile devices as “second screens” simultaneously interacting with the device while at the same time watching the broadcast on their television set. As VR/AR headsets improve, many users will transition to these devices because of the compelling immersive nature. For example, while watching a NASCAR® (A registered trademark of National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.) race on broadcast or cable television, the user may simultaneously watch an “in car” stream on their mobile or VR device. While such experiences are intrinsically personal in nature, there is a need to promote a communal aspect of the experience the ability to share one's view with others—and vice versa.
Social media and experiences are now ingrained in our culture, both domestically and internationally. We communicate via FACEBOOK® (A registered trademark of Facebook, Inc.), we search for restaurants “socially” via YELP!® (a registered trademark of Yelp! Inc.), share hobby interests via PINTEREST® (a registered trademark of Pinterest, Inc.), and share photographs via INSTAGRAM® registered trademark of Instagram, Inc.), etc., to name a few examples. As social media outlets evolve, so do the advertising paradigms that support them, Click-troughs and pop-up ads, while adequate for two-dimensional browsing, are inadequate and out of place for immersive panoramic environments. The advertising industry is seeking platforms and technologies that mesh with such environments. What is needed in the industry is the ability to combine the social aspects of social media, the experiential element of virtual or augmented reality, with the live or on-demand streaming of a sports or entertainment event.